Mysterious Monsters

1. Describe the pictures above.

2. Work with a partner and discuss these questions.

Which of these animals do you think exist?

Which creature has been seen in:

-the English countryside?

- the Himalayas?

- Scotland?

What would you do if you saw one of these creatures?

Vocabulary and reading

1. Work with a partner. Imagine you have seen one of the animals in the
pictures above. Which of these words would you use to describe:

-the monster?

-what happened?

-how you felt?

huge attack stun incident cat-like sight creature

glittering fright
 Mysterious Monsters

hit horrifying chase fall down ugly

wild

2. The words in the box above are all from the reading text. What
do you think it is going to be about?

It’s big, it’s ugly, it’s wild and nobody can

capture it!

A 57-year –old woman was attacked yesterday, by what she claims

was a ‘huge , black cat’ , as she was walking her two dogs near Bodmin
Moor in the West Country. Local police are investigating her story,
which follows a large number of similar reports in the area in recent
months. Residents and visitors have been warned to avoid the Bodmin
area.

Mrs Williams, the wife of a local farmer, described the cat ‘as just
something out of the jungle. It was black all over with short legs but
very strong’. More details were not available , as the creature moved
too fast and Mrs Williams only managed to catch a glimpse of it. The
incident occurred when Mrs Williams was taking her dog for a walk .
Suddenly something hit her very hard on the back of the head ,
causing her to fall to the ground, stunned.

‘When I came to, there it was- huge, black cat staring down at me with
its glittering eyes. I got the fright of my life, I can tell you’, said Mrs
Williams.‘It was a terrifying experience’, she told the reporters, still
visibly shaken. ‘ If it hadn’t been for my Labrador , who chased the
monster away , it would have killed me. It was about six foot long, the
size of a large Alsacian.’ Mrs Williams’ description matches that of
other eye witnesses in incidents involving strange creatures in various
parts of the country.

Exmoor, however, seems to be one of the mysterious monster’s

favourite haunts. This is the latest in a whole series of incidents in
which a black, cat-like creature , has been sighted by people living in
the area of Exmoor. The creature , which looks like a puma say local
farmers, has been killing sheep and other livestock. ‘It should be
caught immediately and shot’, said one farmer who has lost five sheep
in recent months. Several other farmers have reported the loss of
 Mysterious Monsters

livestock following attacks by an unidentified creature , assumed by

many until recent to have been a wolf. ‘A wolf has not been sighted in
these areas in living memory’ , commented one farmer.

Exmoor police have been trying to track the ‘Beast of Bodmin”’, as it’s
called , since it was first spotted some years ago, but they have so far
come up with nothing except for a few very large animal tracks and a
trail of dead sheep. Claims the creature was sighted in a school
playground recently are being investigated.

Investigations have been intensified and local police have brought in

zoologists to assist them in the hunt for the Beast of Bodmin.
Meanwhile, local people and visitors to the area have been warned not
to walk alone on the moor. Parents have been advised to keep their
children at a safe distance from the area . Motorists have also been
asked to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and to report
sightings to the police immediately.

Grammar

1. Find examples of passive verbs in the text.

2. Which of these sentences are passive? Underline the passive forms:

a. My car was stolen.

b. I was stopped by the police for speeding.

c. The building has not been completed yet.

d. He said they’ve been decorating their house.

e. You will be asked to open your suitcase.

f. She claimed she had been at home all evening.

g. Your complaints are being looked into.

h. Letters are delivered every day except weekends.

i. I got to the airport on time but my flight had been cancelled.

j. If I had known they would cancel the flight , I wouldn’t have

bothered to go to the airport.

3. Complete this table:

 Mysterious Monsters

Tense Active Passive

They speak English in English is spoken in

India. India.

Present continuous Our house is being

painted by
decorators.

Past simple The police caught the

thief.

They were taking the The dogs were being

dogs for a walk. taken for a walk.

Present perfect He has been arrested

simple by the police.

Past perfect simple I had told her to

arrive at nine o’clock.

Future simple The government will

reduce the taxes.

Going to They are going to sell

the car.

Modal present The problem should

be solved by the
committee.

Modal perfect They may have sold

the house.

4. Complete these sentences using the correct passive form of the

verbs in brackets:

a. By the time the police got there , the

money_______________________ (take) from the safe.

b. The building __________________________( be) restored at the

moment.

c. The suspect_____________________________( just/ arrest).

d. Dogs must____________________________(keep) on a leash all the

time.
 Mysterious Monsters

e. No dogs ____________________(allow) in the restaurant. Please

leave them outside.

f. The crime ______________________________(investigate) when the

criminal gave himself in to the police.

g. The car _____________________( insure )against accidents ; I

renewed the insurance yesterday.

h. A new school ______________________(build) on that site next year.